Floyd Mayweather is facing serious legal trouble after prosecutors accused the boxing legend of using a bad check to purchase a luxury watch worth nearly $200,000.
The former world champion has been charged with felony theft and intent to defraud in connection with the purchase of an Audemars Piguet timepiece from Las Vegas jewellery retailer Gold and Beyond.
According to a criminal complaint, the alleged incident dates back to December 2024. Prosecutors claim Mayweather used a check linked to a Wells Fargo account despite allegedly knowing there were insufficient funds available to cover the purchase.
Authorities further allege that the undefeated boxing star lacked the money, property or credit necessary to complete the transaction when the check was issued.
A court hearing in the case was held on Monday, with Mayweather represented by his attorneys.
If convicted, the consequences could be severe. The theft charge carries a potential prison sentence of between one and 20 years, while the intent to defraud charge could result in an additional one to four years behind bars.
The jewellery store’s attorney, Marc Cook, told ESPN that his client initially tried to resolve the matter privately and gave Mayweather numerous opportunities to settle the debt before pursuing legal action.
“The reason for the delay is that my guy trusted Mayweather and was trying to give him every opportunity to make good on that,” Cook said.
According to the attorney, the store eventually stopped receiving responses while Mayweather allegedly remained in possession of the watch for more than a year.
“It got to the point where he wasn’t getting responses and wasn’t getting money for a watch that Mayweather had for well over a year,” Cook added.
The allegations come amid growing questions about Mayweather’s financial situation.
The former pound-for-pound king is currently involved in multiple legal disputes, including lawsuits against Showtime and a former business partner that reportedly exceed $500 million combined.
He has also been accused of owing more than $7 million in unpaid taxes.
Despite the legal cloud hanging over him, Mayweather is still expected to travel overseas later this month for an exhibition bout against Greek fighter Mike Zambidis.
The 50-0 boxing great has not publicly responded to the criminal allegations.
For now, one of the richest and most successful athletes in boxing history finds himself fighting a very different kind of battle — one that could have significant consequences if the case proceeds to trial.
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